Fishing The Rocks

[BassFishingMachine]

Ok, I fish a river that produces well, alot of 12-13inchers, but its fun. Anyway, I love throwing jigs there but the only problem is they tend to get caught up in the rocks alot and you end up losing the jig. Now I know football head jigs are suppose to be more suitable for fishing the rocks, but I tryed them today, and I still was losing them. I plan to try round head jigs tomorrow, is this any better, or is this even worse?

Are there any other baits you guys use fishing the rocks? Maybe that don't get caught in-between them as easily? I was thinking of trying tubes in this situation.

[iceintheveins]

I have an answer for your problems. Lindy's No Snagg Timber rock jig. They are great for throwing curly tails for both bass and walleye in rocky, snaggy areas. You will miss maybe a FEW strikes, and occasionally they will hang up as well, but I would lose at least five to ten regular jigheads to every one of these that I lose.

http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/tackleshop2/home.php?cat=370

[Sam Kafelafish]

Crankbaits work for me in these instances. I lost a lot of jigs and what not bumping em through the rocks...So I tried Cranks and they work great...Just make sure they aren't digging the bottom of the rocks and your good. But don't be using cranks that don't get anywhere near hte bottom... Small spinnerbaits rolled real slow off the top of rocks also puts out the smallies for me....

[Guest muddy]

Jigs are not that expensive. What would you rather have in the boat, a buch of jigs or Bass? If your gonna use them , you gotta be willin to loose them.

[BassFishingMachine]

Jigs are not that expensive. What would you rather have in the boat, a buch of jigs or Bass? If your gonna use them , you gotta be willin to loose them.

Yes, but when your losing 4-6 a day, on rocks, it tends to get kind of expensive, you figure jigs are around 2$ a peice, thats 8-10$ a day. I rather have my 8-10$ then some small bass, If I was rich you bet I'd take the bass over the money.

[David P]

Throw it on 15-20lb fluorocarbon, might help you save a few.

[BassFishingMachine]

15-20lb fluro doesn't cast well and gets tangles commonly when throwing 1/16-1/8 jigs, or atleast it does for me  :-?  >.

[LAO162]

Muddy, which jig heads to you typically use.  Thanks

[Avalonjohn44]

Use a wide wobbling crankbait.  I love digging my cranks against the rocks.  A Bandit comes through rip rap and broken bodies very well.

[Guest muddy]

Use a wide wobbling crankbait. I love digging my cranks against the rocks. A Bandit comes through rip rap and broken bodies very well.

Also a great way to fish very large rocks and boulders. I use cranks that hit the bottom. If I am in 10 to 12 feet of water , with large rocks i typically throw a Rapala DT 16

[NBR]

I find football heads a little better than any other in rocks except swim heads that you never let bounce along the bottom. Even with football heads you have to pay very close attention to your bait. A second or two of inattention usually results in a hang up.

[Guest muddy]

Hey NBR: I have found that using jig heads with no weed guards, and burying the hook into a platic helps me better, is that what you do?

[Big-O]

BFM, you are on the right track thinking tube in place of jig as an alternate. I would just keep size, color and weight similar as you were successful with on with jig and it will closely represent the same presentation at a much cheaper price. This bait is much easier to maneuver the rocks without hanging as bad.  Good fishing  

www.ragetail.com

[iceintheveins]

I'm telling you, use Lindy's No Snagg Timber Rock jigs. The wire guard doesn't usually interfere with strikes and it really stays out of the snags well.

[Zel]

I have a couple of spots I fish that are loaded with rocks and smallies, and I know I'm definitely gonna lose most of the plastics I throw to the area.  I prefer to fish plastics as I do better than with cranks in the rocks.

I've come up with a cheap alternative for the situation.  Here is the rig I throw.

I attach a three-way swivel to my 10lb test, then about another 12 inches of 10lb test to a floating jig head with a tube (insert a packing "peanut" into the tube to give it buoyancy.  Hanging down from the three-way swivel I put about 10 of 6lb test line and a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce split shot (depending on depth).  If the split shot hangs up in the rocks, it just slides off , or the 6lb test line breaks.  The rest of the lure usually doesn't hang up and I just attach another split shot.

[Guest muddy]

I'm telling you, use Lindy's No Snagg Timber Rock jigs. The wire guard doesn't usually interfere with strikes and it really stays out of the snags well.

That wire guide also latches on o weed, i find them pretty useless when you are fishing rocks with weeds around them, some of my most productive spots.

[JigNBig]

I use shakey heads in the rocks. I never lose jigs and it will catch you small fish too.

[iceintheveins]

I'm telling you, use Lindy's No Snagg Timber Rock jigs. The wire guard doesn't usually interfere with strikes and it really stays out of the snags well.

That wire guide also latches on o weed, i find them pretty useless when you are fishing rocks with weeds around them, some of my most productive spots.

Most of the rocks I fish don't have weeds, so I don't have that problem. Ever tried the No Snagg Veggie Jig?

[Guest muddy]

No ICe they pick up more of the kind of scummy weed than stop it

[iceintheveins]

No ICe they pick up more of the kind of scummy weed than stop it

I know the type of weeds your talking about, they SUCK!

[thetr20one]

Tubes are cheap and very effective. Buy bulk and they are like 50 cents for a tube and jighead. Muddy n Ice is that really weeds? I think I know what you talking about, and it's more like a snotty slime right? Kinda looks like a loogey in the water.

[Guest muddy]

Yea , on the shallow side of the rocks there is the snotty stuff and on the deep side, by the dropoff there is coontail. I get through the coontail with ease, most of my jig fishing has been there, sometime, especially on cloudy days, where the weather has been onstant for a few days, in the late after noon they make a movement into the "snotty" side of the rocks

[BassFishingMachine]

I have been using round jig heads intended for shaky heading with the hula grub threaded onto the hook, and its been working great for getting around the rocks, have not gotten stuck into a rock and lost the jig yet.

Now comes the bad news, even though they are working through the rocks with ease, everytime I occasionally come upon a tree limb in the water unknowingly, I lose the jig, any suggestions?

And thanks Ice for the suggestion on that jighead, but im looking for a solution I can find in my general area, all I have to work with is a few tackle shops and a Dicks Sporting Goods/Sports Authority.

[thetr20one]

I have been using round jig heads intended for shaky heading with the hula grub threaded onto the hook, and its been working great for getting around the rocks, have not gotten stuck into a rock and lost the jig yet.

Now comes the bad news, even though they are working through the rocks with ease, everytime I occasionally come upon a tree limb in the water unknowingly, I lose the jig, any suggestions?

And thanks Ice for the suggestion on that jighead, but im looking for a solution I can find in my general area, all I have to work with is a few tackle shops and a Dicks Sporting Goods/Sports Authority.

Trees are a different story hang a hook in one and you are pretty much up the creek. You can get the lure retriever that looks like a golf ball retriever, but if its to deep it won't work. Do you throw jigs without a weedguard? Gotta get that feel and stop setting the hook into trees. You will get it in time!

[LOW7681]

I've fished for smallmouth bass on Lake of the Woods for 15 years.  Have lost a lot of jigs fishing the rocks for smallies using jigs and worms.

Over the past several years have switched to 4 -5 " tube with a 1/8 oz. or 3/16 oz tube hook inside.  The fat head of the tube does well in reducing rock hookups.

There are cheap tube hooks available.  Not Gammies but they get the job done.